Istanbul: Turkish authorities detained several journalists from their homes, a media workers’ union reported Monday, in what it said was a crackdown amid escalating protests triggered by imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul and rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On Sunday, a court formally arrested mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkiye in more than a decade, deepening concerns over democracy and the rule of law.
A total of 1,133 people have been detained since March 19, when the mayor was arrested at his home, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said. As many as 123 police officers were injured in the protests, he said adding dangerous materials like acid, firebombs and knives were seized.
The minister said some of the detained were identified as having ties to groups listed as terrorist organisations. Others had criminal records, Yerlikaya said, urging the public to avoid falling for “provocations.”
President Tayyip Erdogan said Monday the protests had turned into a “movement of violence” and said Imamoglu’s opposition party, Republican People’s Party, or CHP, would be held accountable for injured officers and damage to property.
The mayor’s imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major challenger to Erdogan from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028. Govt officials strongly reject the accusations and insist that Turkiye’s courts operate independently.
Imamoglu was jailed on suspicion of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging – accusations he has denied.
Imamoglu was taken to a prison west of Istanbul as over 1.7 million members of his opposition party held a primary election, endorsing him as its presidential candidate.